A summary of migration in Australia recently released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics has highlighted just how much the population moves, revealing that in 2016-17:

377,000 people moved interstate

276,000 moved overseas

539,000 people arrived as migrants

Director of Migration Statistics at the ABS Myles Burleigh said that the number of people moving interstate was the highest in 13 years, and the number of arrivals of overseas migrants was the highest on record.

“However, factoring in departures, in net terms overseas migration was 262,000, which is below the record high of 300,000 in 2008-09”, Mr Burleigh said.

Of the 539,000 people who migrated to Australia in 2016-17, 315,000 arrived on a temporary visa, including just over 150,000 international students, just over 50,000 working holiday makers, and 32,000 workers on temporary skill visas.

There were 106,000 migrants that arrived on permanent visas including 45,800 on skill visas, 29,800 on family visas and 23,900 on humanitarian visas.

Mr Burleigh said that New South Wales had the largest population increase from net overseas migration of any state or territory, with an addition of 104,000 people.

“However, New South Wales also had the largest net loss through interstate migration, with a net loss to other states of 15,200 people.

“Western Australia experienced its highest net loss to other states on record, with a net loss of 14,000 people”.

Mr Burleigh also said that Victoria had the largest gain in population from interstate migration of any state or territory, just ahead of Queensland.

“In 2016-17, 86,700 people moved from another state or territory to Victoria and 68,500 people from Victoria moved interstate. This produced a net gain of 18,200 people, Victoria’s highest ever figure.”